Washing-machine



G. H. THOMPSON.

WASHING MACHINE. No. 391,282. atented fiOct. 16, 1888.

% ummfoz,

J @5 3 ,e arm UNITED STATES PATENT Drrrcn.

GEORGE H. THOMPSON, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,282, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed December 15,1887.

Serial No. 257,998. (hlodet) To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE II. THOMPSON, of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVashing- Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in washing-machines, and more particularly to that class of washing-machines in which the clothing and other articles to be washed are subjected to the action of rubbers attached to a shaft mounted in the cover of the tub or body of the machine, and the object of the same is to produce a device that will be simple, durable, and effective in use, and one that can be manufactured at a nominal expense.

Vith this end in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the body of the machine, a small portion of the cover being broken away to show the interior construction; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the bars D, taken on the dotted lines in Fig. l.

A represents the body or tub of the machine supported on legs a a, and having a lid, B, hinged to a piece, A, secured to one side of the tub on the inner face thereof. \Vithin this box is secured a corrugated zinc lining, O, perforated at intervals throughout its entire surface and separated from the tub A by furring-hoops 1), thereby leaving a small space between said lining and the box to allow water to circulate therein. A spindle,G, isjournaled in the lid or cover B and in a bracket, I, secured to said lid or cover, and is provided at a point below the cover with parallel bars D, one of which is fixed to the spindle. At a point immediately above the cover and below the bracket I a double pulley, H, is rigidly affixed to the shaft. Cords J are secured at one end within the grooves of pulleys H and thence passed over pulleys h on the edge of the tub and finally to the levers L L, to which their other ends are secured. These levers L L are hinged to cross-bar e, which connects a pair of the legsa a, said levers L L extending below cross a bar e far enough to receive brackets L L which are fastened at the lower ends of the levers on the side opposite to the tub. Foot-treadles M are connected by chains or similarmeans, N, to the brackets L L", the outer ends of these treadles resting upon the ground and connected together by an iron rod, upon which they are adapted to vibrate.

By alternately rocking the lovers L L motion is imparted to the spindle on which the bars D are secured, and thereby rotate the same alternately in opposite directions, both by foot and hand power, or by either separately.

If desired, a pair of foot and handlevers can be attached at opposite sides of the machine and the rope connecting the same passed around the pulley I-I, so that by alternately rocking the levers L L the rope of one lever or pair of levers winds on the pulley while the rope of the other levers unwinds, and thus motion is imparted to the spindle, thereby rendering the device capable of being operated by two or more persons by foot and hand power.

On opposite ends of the bars D are secured pins K. A sleeve, 0, made preferably of corrugated zinc, perforated at suitable intervals on its surface, is passed around these pins K and made to embrace the shoulders Z, formed on upper and lower bars D.

A catch,N, ofany well-known and approved construction is secured to the cover B and securely locks the same to the tub A when desired. The tub is further provided with a plug, t, to allow the water to be drawn off.

The operation of the device is as follows: The articles to be washed are placed in the tub A and the tub supplied with water sufficient to cover them, and then soap is introduced and the levers operated. During the rotation of the bars D the corrugated dasher, composed of the pins K and sleeve 0, presses the clothes or articles to be washed against the corrugated zinc lining O and squeezes them tightly as they roll, causing the water to pass through the clothes and also through the perforations in the zinc lining, thereby creating suction, which greatly facilitates the washing of the clothes.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the several parts described without departing from the true spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a tub and a dasher revolubly supported in said tub, of hand-levers hinged to the machine and having a flexible connection with the dasher, whereby the latter is operated by the hand-levers, and foot-levers having a flexible connection with the hand-levers at a point below the hinge, substantially as set forth.

Witnesses.

' GEORGE H. THOMPSON. \Vitnesses:

F. F. HALE,

ADAM B. Russian. 

